The film marks the directorial debut of Christopher Erskin.

Cedric the Entertainer plays a dual role in the film, in addition to co-starring with Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles, and Steve Harvey.

Johnson Family Vacation marks the feature film debut of Jason Momoa.

On Rotten Tomatoes, only 6% of 88 critics' reviews were positive, with an average rating of 3.4/10, and the site's consensus compared it unfavorably to Chevy Chase's Vacation movies.

Metacritic gave the film a score of 29 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating 'generally unfavorable' reviews.

Roger Ebert felt Cedric the Entertainer's talents were watered down by the film's 'paint-by-numbers' script, describing director Erskin's style as having 'style without zing'.

A sequel titled Johnson Family Celebration was announced in October 2019, with Cedric the Entertainer returning to star and produce, DeVon Franklin co-producing, and Michael Elliot writing the screenplay.